A B737 taxiing at iad in gusty winds ingested a 4 ft X 8 ft section of plastic. Aircraft rtn to gate...

Attributes
ACN	745559
Time
Date	200707
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iad.airport
State Reference	VA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : holding
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain observation : company check pilot
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 161 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 4400
ASRS Report	745559
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 8900 flight time type : 3700
ASRS Report	745718
Events
Anomaly	ground encounters : fod
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airport Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Environmental Factor

Narrative:

Incident occurred on taxi out from iad. We were stopped on taxiway 'east' in a line of aircraft waiting to taxi for departure on runway 1R. Winds were west to northwesterly at 14 KTS gusting to 20 KTS. From the construction area to our right side; a 4 ft by 8 ft section of plastic sheeting was dislodged from a dirt pile and was blown into the area near the #2 engine; which ingested the plastic. We felt a shudder and a momentary vibration. Engine instrumentation appeared normal. We got a call from the purser informing us that a passenger had witnessed the plastic being ingested into the engine. We coordinated for a return to the blocks and shut down the #2 engine on the taxi back. There was never any odor of burning plastic or other indication that a substantial amount of the FOD went through the engine core. Maintenance removed plastic material from the engine's bypass area; inspected the engine accessories; and coordinated with maintenance for deferral of borescope. No human factors involved.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 TAXIING AT IAD IN GUSTY WINDS INGESTED A 4 FT X 8 FT SECTION OF PLASTIC. ACFT RTN TO GATE.

Narrative: INCIDENT OCCURRED ON TAXI OUT FROM IAD. WE WERE STOPPED ON TXWY 'E' IN A LINE OF ACFT WAITING TO TAXI FOR DEP ON RWY 1R. WINDS WERE W TO NORTHWESTERLY AT 14 KTS GUSTING TO 20 KTS. FROM THE CONSTRUCTION AREA TO OUR R SIDE; A 4 FT BY 8 FT SECTION OF PLASTIC SHEETING WAS DISLODGED FROM A DIRT PILE AND WAS BLOWN INTO THE AREA NEAR THE #2 ENG; WHICH INGESTED THE PLASTIC. WE FELT A SHUDDER AND A MOMENTARY VIBRATION. ENG INSTRUMENTATION APPEARED NORMAL. WE GOT A CALL FROM THE PURSER INFORMING US THAT A PAX HAD WITNESSED THE PLASTIC BEING INGESTED INTO THE ENG. WE COORDINATED FOR A RETURN TO THE BLOCKS AND SHUT DOWN THE #2 ENG ON THE TAXI BACK. THERE WAS NEVER ANY ODOR OF BURNING PLASTIC OR OTHER INDICATION THAT A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF THE FOD WENT THROUGH THE ENG CORE. MAINT REMOVED PLASTIC MATERIAL FROM THE ENG'S BYPASS AREA; INSPECTED THE ENG ACCESSORIES; AND COORDINATED WITH MAINT FOR DEFERRAL OF BORESCOPE. NO HUMAN FACTORS INVOLVED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.